y^    \ ' 

y"\\ 

2  ^^^^ 

A 

LAN    FOR   A    PARK 

FOB    THE 

CITY   OF   ALBANY. 

BY 

DAVID  MURRAY,  A.  M. 

ALBANY : 

J.  MUNSELL,  78  STATE  STREET. 

18G3. 



UCSB    LIBRARY 


PLAN    FOR    A    PARK 


CITY   OF    ALBAI^Y 


DAVID  MURRAY,  A.  M. 


ALBANY : 
J.  MUNSELL,  78  STATE  STREET. 

1803. 


To  the  Mayor  and  Common  Council  of  the  City  of  Albany  : 

The  undersigned  were  appointed  a  committee  by  the 
Albany  Institute  to  lay  before  your  body  the  accompanying 
paper,  which  was  read  at  a  meeting  of  the  Institute,  held 
June  3,  1863,  and  to  request  your  attention  to  the  subject 
therein  discussed,  as  one  of  vital  importance  to  the  city 
over  which  you  preside. 

The  duty  of  providing  an  ample  park  for  the  city  of 
Albany,  is  one  that,  of  course,  can  not  have  escaped  your 
consideration.  Of  the  importance  of  this  step  there  can  be 
but  little  doubt,  and  nearly  as  little  doubt  that  the  step 
ought  to  be  taken  without  longer  delay. 

The  committe  in  laying  before  your  honorable  body  the 
present  plan  for  a  park,  have  no  wish  to  urge  it  as  the 
only  feasible  one,  nor  to  insist  upon  the  adoption  of  this 
particular  locality.  If  the  suggestions  of  this  paper  shall 
serve  to  direct  attention  to  the  subject,  and  demonstrate 
the  practicability  of  securing  for  the  perpetual  use  of  the 
city,  large  and  beautiful  public  grounds,  the  committee 
will  feel  themselves  abundantly  satisfied. 

JOHN  Y.  L.  PRUYN, 

President  of  the  Institute, 
ANDREW  E.  BROWN,  Treasurer, 

DAVID  MURRAY,  Secretary. 
Albany,  June,  1863. 


PLAN  FOR  A  CITY  PARK. 


No  city  government  is  wise  which  neglects  to  provide 
suitable  and  ample  pleasure  grounds  for  its  citizens.  Such 
a  proposition  would  scarcely  need  enforcement,  if  we  did 
not  know  that  there  are  those  who  think  that  the  duty  of 
men  called  to  preside  over  the  interests  of  the  city  has  no- 
thing to  do  with  the  pleasures  and  amusements  of  citizens. 
To  provide  and  keep  in  order  streets  and  wharves  for  the 
transaction  of  business,  to  secure  the  safety  of  person  and 
property,  to  enforce  laws  as  to  the  order  and  peaceableness 
of  public  resorts,  to  guard  against  pestilence ;  such  many 
would  claim  to  be  the  only  and  the  legitimate  spheres  in 
which  the  functions  of  city  rulers  may  be  employed.  But 
to  furnish  delights  to  eye  and  ear,  to  provide  holiday  shows, 
to  spend  money  merelj'  to  amuse  ;  these  belong  to  private 
taste  and  enterprise,  but  do  not  come  within  the  scope  of 
municipal  supervision  and  government. 

Views,  as  narrow  and  illiberal  as  these,  are  fortunately  1  't 
rare.     There  are  not  many  men  who  would  deny  to  a  ci 
government   a  very  liberal   exercise   of   its   authority 
ornamenting  as  well  as  governing  their  city — in  seeing  th 
taste  as  well   as  usefulness  should   be  consulted  in  pub! 
buildings — in  employing  the  water  which  serves  the  p'    - 
poses  of  health  and  cleanliness,  for  the  embellishment     f 
public  grounds,  and  in  furnishing  with  a  free  and  lib    al 
hand  the  facilities  for  sports  by  land   and  water.     Y'      it 
would  not  be  hard  to  prove  even  to  such  that  the  eftab     b- 
ment  of  suitable  pleasure  grounds — and  the  pro^    linf     )r 
the   cultivation  and  gratification  of  public  tasi      sver>     >n 
themselves  so  strictly  requisite  for  the  health,  ord     ,  gro    :h 


and  prosperity  of  a  city,  that  their  own  practical  princi- 
ples would  countenance  and  require  them. 

Cleanliness,  fresh  air,  the  presence  of  vegetation  are 
essential  to  health.  How  can  a  sufficiency  of  these  be 
obtained  in  crowded  towns,  unless  by  the  action  of  city 
governments.'*  Private  enterprise  even  where  aided  by  in- 
telligence and  wealth  can  not  always  in  large  cities  obtain 
these.  It  requires  the  interference  of  public  authority  to 
provide  open  and  accessible  public  grounds  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  these  luxuries.  A  beautiful  park  in  any  city  is  a  great 
moral  power.  It  does  more  than  criminal  courts  or  police- 
men to  repress  crime.  The  feverish,  restless  brain  is  cooled 
and  soothed  by  the  fresh  breeze  and  the  cooling  shade.  Shak- 
speare  makes  Falstaff,  the  debauchee  and  drunkard,  when 
dying,  go  back  in  thought,  to  his  earlier  and  happier  and 
more  innocent  days  and  "  babble  of  green  fields."  Men  are 
wiser,  better,  more  temperate,  more  loving,  when  they  have 
wandered  amid  trees  and  by  water  falls,  and  heard  birds 
sing  and  children  laugh  and  play.  The  slovenliness  and 
filth,  which  sometimes  unnecessarily  disgrace  the  tenements 
of  the  poor  in  cities,  are  put  to  shame  by  the  sight  of  the 
beauty  and  freshness  of  nature. 

The  children  who  are  compelled  to  live  in  narrow  streets 
and  crowded  houses,  grow  up  happier,  more  healthful  and 
more  virtuous,  if  now  and  then  they  can  leave  behind  their 
hot  and  unventilated  dwellings  and  find  solace  and  bounti- 
ful joy  in  a  well  appointed  park.  When  the  laborer  gets  a 
half  holiday,  how  much  more  vigorously  and  contentedly 
he  will  recommence  his  work,  if  instead  of  wasting  its  hours 
in  steaming  bar  rooms,  he  can  find  the  accessible  and  at- 
tractive walks  of  a  park  in  which  to  find  refreshment. 

Nor  are  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  such  a  source 
restricted  to  the  poor.  Nature  has  implanted  the  same 
natural  wants  and  longings  in  all.  The  rich  man  and  the 
poor  must  breathe  the  same  air.  The  same  sights  of  na- 
tural beauty — the  mountains  and  the  valleys — the  trees  and 


water  are  common  sources  of  enjoyment  to  both.  It  does 
not  destroy  our  appreciation  or  enjoyment  of  a  scene  to 
know  that  thousands  of  eyes  besides  our  own  are  feasting 
upon  it.  Nature  does  not  become  unlovely  by  becoming 
common. 

Who  needs  rest  and  refreshment  as  much  as  the  man  of 
business,  or  the  professional  man,  whose  thoughts  and  ener- 
gies have  been  taxed  to  their  utmost  bent,  b}^  the  work  of 
the  day  ?  Men  die  every  year  by  thousands,  whom  an  hour's 
walk  or  drive  every  day  after  their  work  is  over,  would 
save  for  long  years  of  usefulness.  I  know  scores  of  pro- 
fessional men  and  merchants  who  are  absolutely  committing 
self-murder,  because  they  think  they  can  not  spare  the  time 
to  see  the  sights  and  breathe  the  air  which  God  has  given 
them. 

Unfortunately  men  are  not  always  aware  of  what  is  for 
their  good.  Ignorance  or  apathy  often  deprives  us  of 
blessings  which  hang  clustering  within  our  reach.  The  man 
who  has  lived  all  his  days  in  an  unventilated,  filthy  house, 
does  not  appreciate  the  necessity  of  good  air  and  cleanli- 
ness, although  himself  and  children  are  suffering  every  day 
from  the  want  of  them.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  enlightened 
and  generous  to  see  that  these  public  blessings,  so  far  as 
they  can  be  provided  by  public  means,  are  put  within  the 
reach  of  all.  It  is  necessary  sometimes  to  force  men  to 
live  decently.  It  is  proper  sometimes  to  thrust  unappreci- 
ated and  neglected  means  of  enjoyment,  under  the  very 
noses  of  men  in  order  that  they  may  be  compelled  to  obtain 
from  these  sources  that  good  which  nature  designed  for 
them. 

Any  such  project  as  that  which  I  am  about  to  submit,  will 
meet  with  abundant  neglect  and  opposition.  It  will  cost 
money  ;  therefore  many  who  have  the  real  good  of  the  city 
at  heart,  and  desire  economy  and  providence  in  expen- 
ditures will  cry  out  against  it.  It  will  be  pronounced  un- 
necessary and  extravagant  by  man}'-  who  do  not  appreciate 


before  liand  tbo  advantages  to  be  derived  from  it.  For 
these  very  reasons,  it  devolves,  as  a  public  duty  on  those 
who  are  enlightened  enough  to  see  and  magnanimous 
enough  to  act,  to  undertake  such  a  design  even  in  spite  of 
the  apathy  or  opposition  of  many  good  men.  The  reward 
for  such  a  course  will  be  found  in  the  assurance  that  these 
labors  will  be  honored  and  appreciated  after  their  results  are 
witnessed.  The  very  mouths  that  will  now  cry  out  against 
a  city  park,  will  when  it  is  provided,  be  the  loudest  to 
award  credit  to  those  who  did  them  a  good  in  spite  of  them- 
selves. It  was  precisely  such  an  experience  that  those  en- 
countered who  projected  and  executed  the  city  water  works 
of  Albany.  Men  protested  against  the  work  as  unneces- 
sary. There  was  water  enough.  There  were  good  wells, 
which  the  city  fathers  had  dug.  There  was  a  stone  reser- 
voir already  in  Eagle  street.  There  was  the  river,  not  likely 
soon  to  go  dry.  Careful  and  economical  men  who  did  not 
look  to  the  future  growth  and  wants  of  the  city,  abused 
and  protested.  But  the  work  was  done.  A  great  fire  which 
consumed  a  large  portion  of  the  city  perhaps  may  be  cre- 
dited fordoing  something  to  convince  the  public  mind  that 
pumps  can  not  be  depended  on  to  supply  a  city  with  water. 

The  magnificent  Central  Park  of  New  York  was  under- 
taken in  the  face  of  just  such  an  opposition.  And  yet,  now 
that  the  work  is  fairly  initiated,  and  some  of  the  results  be- 
gin to  show  themselves,  nobody  opposes  the  most  liberal 
and  generous  provision  for  carrying  out  the  designs  of  the 
Park  Commissioners. 

I  repeat  then  that  it  devolves  upon  those  who  appreciate 
the  necessity  of  providing  a  park  adequate  to  the  present 
and  future  wants  of  this  city,  to  initiate  the  enterprise  even 
in  spite  of  the  neglect  or  opposition  of  those  who  are  to  be 
chiefly  benefitted. 

City  governments  almost  always  labor  under  great  disad- 
vantages in  securing,  when  it  becomes  necessary,  grounds 
sufficiently  extensive  for  public  parks.     In  the  early  settle- 


ment  of  a  city  these  are  not  thought  of,  because  they  have 
not  become  necessary.  The  future  of  any  city  is  so  uncertain 
that  but  few  men  are  found  far-sighted  enough  to  foresee 
and  provide  for  its  future  greatness.  So  it  almost  always 
happens  that  the  business  of  obtaining  grounds  for  exten- 
sive public  parks  must  be  undertaken  when  the  grounds 
which  would  be  suitable  for  such  purposes  have  been 
appropriated  to  other  purposes,  and  have,  therefore,  be- 
come too  valuable  to  be  purchased.  This  has  been  the 
case  in  the  Central  Park  of  New  York.  The  leading  ex- 
pense there  as  in  almost  all  cases  has  been  encountered 
in  extinguishing  the  titles  of  the  land  to  be  covered  by 
it.  The  city  of  Paris  and  the  city  of  London,  and  indeed 
almost  all  the  great  European  towns  have  provided  them- 
selves with  ample  parks  at  an  enormous  cost,  because  they 
were  obliged  to  use  lands  that  had  already  become  valuable. 
The  leading  features  of  a  park  suitable  for  such  a  city  as 
this,  seem  to  be  the  following  : 

1.  It  should  be,  not  very  far  removed  from  the  central 
part  of  the  city  and  readily  accessible. 

2.  It  should  be  liberal  in  size ;  calculations  being  made 
not  merely  for  the  present  but  for  the  future,  remember- 
ing that  it  is  much  easier  to  secure  land  when  such  an  im- 
provement is  being  made,  than  afterward  to  add  to  what 
has  already  been  obtained,  when  the  value  of  adjacent  pro- 
perty has  been  greatly  enhanced  by  the  very  improvement 
itself.  When  I  speak  of  a  liberal  size,  I  mean  a  park  where 
accommodations  may  be  provided  for  driving,  walking, 
games  and  sports,  skating,  ball-playing,  cricketing,  &c. 

All  this  could  not  be  easily  comprehended  in  a  few  acres. 
The  drives  through  it,  ought  not  to  be  less  than  three  miles 
and  the  walks  five  or  six.  For  a  city  like  Albany,  with  its 
present  condition  and  future  prospects,  250  acres  would  not 
be  too  much  to  provide  in  a  liberal  way  for  these  purposes. 

The  parks  of  the  city  of  London  are  as  follows : 


262 

acres. 

389 

a 

55 

59 

473 

248 

185 

35 

1,200 

3,800 

acres, 

1,842 

(( 

2,468 

(C 

684 

il 

Kensinp;ton  Garden:?, 
Hyde  Park,  _         .         -         . 

Green  Park,      -         -         -         - 
St.  Jaines  Park,     -         -         -         _ 
Reji^ents  Park,  .         -         _ 

Victoria  Park,       _         -         .         _ 
Greenwich  Park,      -         -         _ 
Kensington  Park,  -         _         _ 

Other   smaller  parks, 

Total, 2,906      " 

In  addition  to  these  parks  within  the  bounds  of  the  city, 
there  are  extensive  suburban  grounds  within  easy  distance 
such  as  : 

Windsor  Park,         -         _         _ 
Hampton  Court,  -         -         .         - 
Richmond  Park,      -        -        - 
Kew,  ------ 

Total, 8,794      " 

Thus  there  are  of  open  public  grounds  for  the  city  of 
London  not  less  than  10,000  acres ;  a  magnificent  public 
heritage,  and  yet  not  one  whit  too  large  for  that  monster 
town. 

Dublin  (population  260,000)  has  a  park  of  1,752  acres. 

Almost  all  European  cities  have  in  like  manner,  generally 
at  immense  cost,  provided  themselves  with  driving  and 
pleasure  grounds.  The  Boulevards  of  Paris,  the  most  mag- 
nificent drive  in  the  world,  is  located  on  the  ground  formerly 
occupied  by  the  wall  and  ditch  which  surrounded  the  old 
town  for  its  protection.  The  interior  Boulevards  is  a  con- 
tinuous drive  of  three  miles,  and  some  parts  of  it  are  the 
most  attractive  of  all  Paris.  The  great  Bois  de  Boulogne,  in 
the  vicinity  of  Paris,  comprises  2,158  acres.  It  was  little 
better  than  one  of  our  own  sandy  plains,  until  the  magic 
hand  of  the  present  Napoleon  transformed  it  into  a  garden 
of  deliccht. 


American  cities  are  just  waking  up  to  the  necessity  of 
providing  themselves,  before  it  is  too  late,  with  parks. 
Boston  is  the  only  city  that,  until  lately,  has  taken  any 
important  step  in  this  direction.  Boston  Common  has  long 
justly  been  the  pride  of  the  "  hub  of  the  universe."  It 
contains  48  acres ;  it  is  devoted  to  the  use  of  pedestrians, 
and  is  not  of  sufficient  size  to  be  used  for  driving. 

New  York  City  has  taken  the  lead  of  all  other  American 
cities.  The  Central  Park,  although  as  yet  only  in  the 
infancy  of  its  beauty,  is  already  the  pride  of  New  Yorkers. 

It  contains  776  acres,  9  miles  of  carriage  road,  5  miles  of 
bridle  path,  and  20  miles  of  walks. 

Philadelphia  has  quite  recently  laid  out  a  large  park  on 
the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill,  near  Fairmount  waterworks. 
It  contains  128  acres  on  one  side  of  the  river,  and  80  acres 
on  the  other. 

Hartford  has  also  by  a  timely  liberality  turned  one  of 
the  most  disagreeable  of  her  suburbs  into  a  large  and  beau- 
tiful park. 

In  Baltimore  a  beautiful  old  private  park  is  being  con- 
verted into  public  grounds  of  more  than  ordinary  extent  and 
elegance. 

I  give  these  details  in  order  to  show  that  the  idea  of  250 
acres  for  a  park  for  Albany  is  not  extravagant.  It  is  to  be 
a  provision,  not  for  the  present  merely,  but  for  the  future. 
At  the  present  time  it  ma}^  be  obtained  with  comparative 
ease  ;  whereas,  the  city  government  of  100  years  hence  will 
seek  in  vain  for  an  opportunity  such  as  ofiters  itself  now. 

3,  A  park  should  be  diversified  in  its  surface,  especially 
when  the  area  is  large.  A  mere  flat  plane  does  not  please 
or  satisfy  the  eye.  In  an  area  of  250  acres,  we  ought  to 
have  hill  and  valley,  running  water,  winding  roads,  and 
pretty,  picturesque  bits  of  landscape.  Pleasant  surprises 
must  be  arranged  for  the  eye.  Some  piece  of  beauty,  be- 
fore concealed,  must  break  upon  us  suddenly.     A  clump  of 

2 


10 

trees,  or  a  turu  in  the  road  must  reveal  to  us  unexpectedly 
some  new  scene.  Water  in  ponds,  cascades  and  fountains 
is  a  delightful,  almost  an  essential  feature  in  such  a  park. 
The  Albany  Rural  Cemetery  is  a  model  piece  of  ground  for 
its  adaptation  to  purposes  of  pleasure.  The  deep  gorges, 
the  steep  hillsides,  the  streams  of  water,  the  level  plateaus, 
are  precisely  the  features  in  a  piece  of  ground  which  would 
adapt  it  for  a  park. 

The  practical  question  comes  to  us  now  ;  is  such  a  park 
attainable  for  Albany  ?  Is  there  any  spot  which  will  meet 
all  these  requisites?  A  spot  nearly  enough  central  to  the 
city,  and  accessible,  large  enough  for  the  wants  of  the 
city — present  and  prospective — and  which,  from  its  diver- 
sity of  surface  and  general  outline,  is  capable  of  being 
transformed  into  a  park. 

Without  wishing  to  disparage  any  other  locality,  or  to 
set  up  any  claim  to  the  discovery  of  the  only  spot  suitable 
for  this  purpose,  I  desire  to  submit  one,  as  possessing  all 
requisite  qualifications  to  such  a  degree  as  to  make  it  wor- 
thy of  attentive  consideration. 

The  annexed  map  will  give  a  clear  idea  of  the  ground 
which  is  proposed  to  be  covered  by  this  park.  The  bound- 
ary line  commences  at  the  intersection  of  Elk  street  and 
Swan,  at  the  head  of  the  high  bank  in  the  rear  of  the 
residences  of  Messrs.  Steele  and  King.  Thence  it  follows 
the  line  of  Elk  street,  and  would  absorb  this  street.  At 
Lark  street,  it  passes  southward  and  takes  in  Sand  street, 
running  westward  along  Sand  to  Robin  street.  At  Clinton 
avenue,  it  returns  eastward  to  Judson  street,  along  which 
it  runs  to  the  bounds  of  the  corporation,  and  in  the  same 
line  into  the  town  of  Watervliet,  until  it  reaches  a  point 
whence  a  line  running  parallel  with  Lumber  street  would 
just  touch  the  grounds  of  the  Dudley  Observatory.  It  runs 
east  on  this  line  till  it  reaches  Swan,  and  along  Swan  to 
Colonic,  along  Colonic  to  Knox,  along  Knox  to  Third,  down 
Third  to  Lark,  along  Lark  to  First,  down  First  to  the  line 


CITY  OF  AJLBAHT 

BY 


11 

of  Dove,  through  Dove  to  Orange,  down  Orange  to  Swan 
street,  and  finally  along  Swan  until  it  reaches  the  point  of 
starting  at  Elk  street. 

The  ground  included  within  these  bounds  comes  nearer 
to  perfection  in  its  capabilities  for  easy  transformation  into 
a  magnificent  park  than  any  ground  which  I  ever  saw  in 
any  city.  It  meets  almost  perfectly  every  one  of  the  requi- 
sites. 

1.  It  is  near  to  the  central  part  of  the  city,  and  easily 
accessible  from  every  quarter.  Clinton  avenue,  a  wide  and 
beautiful  and  well  graded  street,  leads  directly  from  the 
most  populous  and  attractive  portions  of  Broadway  and 
Pearl  street,  by  a  distance  of  only  two  or  three  blocks,  into 
the  most  beautiful  part  of  it.  The  whole  of  Arbor  Hill 
can  reach  it,  either  by  Clinton  avenue,  or  by  any  of  the 
streets  parallel  to  it.  The  portion  of  the  city  living  on 
Capitol  Hill  can  reach  it  either  by  Clinton  avenue  or 
directly  from  Swan  street,  Dove  street,  or  any  of  the  cross 
streets  above  them.  And  furthermore,  if  the  project  of  a 
horse  rail  road  to  West  Albany  is  carried  out,  as  will  no 
doubt  be  the  case  in  a  few  years,  it  must  run  directly 
through  or  along  side  this  ground.  It  is  therefore  central 
and  accessible. 

2.  A  park  can  be  obtained  here  of  sufficient  size.  Without 
cramping  in  any  respects  the  growing  business  portions  of 
the  city,  without  taking  land  which  must  become  valuable 
for  any  other  purposes,  a  park  of  250  acres  can  here  be  laid 
out.  More  than  this ;  the  ground  thus  occupied,  and  which 
would  thus  be  converted  into  a  perpetual  pleasure,  is  now 
and  must  forever  continue  a  most  unwholsome  and  incon- 
venient locality  for  residences.  The  Canal  street  valley  is 
proverbially  filthy  and  unhealthy.  It  will  always  remain 
so,  unless  its  side  hills  are  turned  into  pleasure  grounds, 
its  putrid  pools  of  water  into  beautiful  ponds,  and  the  na- 
kedness of  its  clay  banks  covered  with  verdure  and  shade. 

3.  The  surface  has  all  the  requisite  qualifications.     It  is 


12 

broken  and  uneven.  The  very  qualities  which  have  unfitted 
it  for  being  occupied  with  dwellings  make  it  especially 
adapted  to  this  purpose.  We  have  here  the  steep  hillside ; 
we  have  the  broken  surface ;  we  have  water,  both  for 
ponds  and  fountains.  The  declivity  extending  from  Elk 
street,  in  the  rear  of  the  residences  of  Messrs.  Strong,  Rath- 
bone,  Gansevoort,  Parker  and  others,  down  to  Canal  street, 
is  utterly  useless  for  building  or  cultivation  j  but  for  the 
purposes  of  a  park,  nothing  could  be  more  admirable. 
Sufficient  water  from  that  unused  by  the  waterworks  could 
be  obtained  to  supply  the  ponds  that  are  already  formed. 
A  large  skating  park  could  with  little  expense  be  con- 
structed. The  top  of  Arbor  Hill  is  very  level,  and  would 
give  ample  accommodations  for  grounds  for  ball-playing, 
cricketing,  &c.;  purposes  for  which  in  the  Central  Park  of 
New  York,  50  acres  have  been  devoted. 

Already  a  large  number  of  trees  are  growing  in  various 
parts  of  the  land — maple,  and  elm,  and  willow ;  and  with 
prompt  attention  to  this  branch  of  the  ornamentation,  in  a 
very  short  time  the  whole  might  be  covered.  In  the  Van 
Woert  street  gorge,  a  beautiful  grove  of  natural  pines  is 
already  growing,  and  would  add  much  to  the  facility  with 
which  the  park  could  be  prepared. 

The  broken  surface  would  give  a  fine  opportunity  for 
winding  drives  and  walks.  For  example,  a  driving  road 
might  be  commenced  at  Swan  street,  corner  of  Elk,  at  the 
top  of  the  hill ;  and,  winding  down  gradually,  might  cross 
the  gorge,  and  skirt  around  the  ponds  of  water,  be  carried 
westward  to  the  west  terminus,  where  it  might  be  made  to 
pass  over  Arbor  Hill,  circuiting  in  its  course  the  sporting 
grounds,  then  descending  into  the  beautiful  gorge  south  of 
the  Observatory,  wind  along  one  side  and  return  by  the 
other,  and  recrossing  Arbor  Hill,  re-enter  the  city  by  Clin- 
ton avenue.  Such  a  drive,  including  all  its  windings,  would 
not  be  less  than  two  miles.     In  addition  to  this  chief  drive, 


13 

other  branches  and  auxiliary  roads  could  be  constructed, 
connecting  with  this  and  uniting  by  less  circuitous  routes 
the  different  parts  of  the  park. 

An  important  consideration  yet  remains.  It  is,  whether 
the  cost  of  a  park  such  as  has  been  described,  and  in  the 
locality  indicated,  is  within  the  reasonable  ability  of  the 
city.  I  have  taken  some  pains  to  ascertain  the  approxi- 
mate value  of  the  land  to  be  covered  by  this  improvement. 
The  city  surveyor,  Mr.  Bingham,  has,  with  great  pains  and 
care,  made  accurate  and  extensive  estimates.  The  results 
are  so  much  more  favorable  than  I  anticipated  that  I 
was  surprised.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  a  great 
part  of  the  land  to  be  used  is  almost  utterly  valueless 
for  streets  and  dwellings.  The  established  grade  of  the 
city  is  such  that  it  is  impossible,  except  at  a  ruinous 
expense,  to  prepare  the  grounds  for  being  built  upon.  The 
city  corporation  has  for  years  been  ofi'ering  three  entire 
blocks  at  a  merely  nominal  price,  on  condition  that  they 
shall  be  graded  and  improved.  The  steep  hillside  north  of 
Elk  street,  and  sloping  to  Canal  street,  could  never  be 
made  available  for  building  or  cultivation.  It  would  re- 
quire twenty  years,  at  the  present  rate  of  dumping,  to  fill 
up  the  Canal  street  gorge  to  the  level  of  the  present  city 
grade. 

From  the  best  estimates  that  can  be  made,  the  land 
included  within  the  boundaries  indicated,  lying  south  of 
Clinton  avenue,  amounts  to  75  acres,  and  is  valued  at 
$100,000. 

That  lying  north  of  Clinton  avenue  amounts  to  175 
acres,  and  is  valued  at  $75,000. 

The  total  being  250  acres,  valued  at  $175,000. 

The  valuation  which  the  assessors  have  put  on  this  same 
ground  is  very  much  less  than  that  above  stated ;  being 
less  than  $150,000. 

Even  if  these  estimates  shall  be  found  too  low,  and  the 
land  shall  cost  much  more  than  this  sum,  still  what  is  this, 


14 

when  we  consider  how  great  the  improvement  must  be. 
This  much  is  certain,  that  the  expense  of  this  land  is  but 
trifling  compared  with  what  cities  are  obliged  to  pay  usu- 
ally for  ground  for  parks;  and  trifling  compared  with  what 
this  city  would  be  obliged  to  pay,  if  it  shall  put  off  much 
longer  the  duty  of  providing  such  grounds.  A  large  park 
must  be  secured  sooner  or  later.  Shall  it  be  deferred  ?  Is 
it  not  better  for  the  present  generation  to  initiate  this  work, 
which  must  be  done  sometime,  and  never  can  be  done  as 
cheaply  as  now  1 

The  additional  expenditures  may  be  more  or  less,  as  may 
be  deemed  advisable.  Roads  and  trees  are  the  chief  things 
to  be  attended  to.  Trees  should  be  set  out  at  once  ;  and  at 
least  a  part  of  the  roads  graded.  But  other  embellish- 
ments, such  as  would  be  desirable  for  the  future,  may  very 
safely  be  carried  on  slowly,  and  at  small  annual  expense. 
It  would  be  neither  wisdom  nor  economy  to  put  such  a 
park  in  perfect  order  at  once.  Some  parts  of  it,  after 
being  secured,  might  even  be  left  in  the  possession  of  their 
present  occupants  for  a  time,  until  such  time  as  they  could 
be  improved.  It  would  be  a  great  mistake  to  burden  such 
an  enterprise  with  an  expensive  and  unattainable  plan  of 
adornment.  Expensive  bridges  and  arcades,  subterranean 
archways,  costly  exotic  plants  and  trees  —  such  as  are 
making  New  York  Central  Park  so  expensive  —  should  be 
avoided,  especially  in  the  inception  of  the  enterprise. 
There  is  such  a  thing  as  making  a  park  too  finical,  and 
ornamental.  It  ought  not  to  be  too  nice  to  be  used.  Have 
no  warnings  to  "  keep  off  the  grass,"  about  it.  Such  a 
park,  with  merely  good  roads  to  and  through  it,  with  plenty 
of  trees  tasteful]}'-  disposed,  with  sporting  grounds,  and 
pleasant  rambles  laid  out,  would  of  itself  be  such  a  de- 
light, such  a  glory  to  our  city,  that  we  would  scarcely 
wish  for  anything  more. 

The  expense  of  such  improvements  it  would  be  hard  to 
determine,  without  a  systematic  survey  and  computation. 


15 

Roughly,  perhaps,  a  sum  amounting  to  as  much  more  as 
the  cost  of  the  land  would  be  sufficient  to  lay  out  this  park 
and  give  it  its  first  outfit. 

Such  a  sum,  surely,  would  not  be  deemed  too  great  for 
such  an  improvement,  To  meet  this  expenditure,  the  bonds 
of  the  city  might  be  issued  ;  the  interest  on  which,  together 
with  a  small  annual  outlay  for  care  and  additional  orna- 
mentation, would  constitute  the  whole  burden  to  the  city. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  increase  in  the  value  of  real  estate, 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  park,  would  go  far  towards  over- 
coming any  addition  to  the  taxes  from  this  source.  How 
much  the  beautiful  grounds  on  Washington  avenue,  from 
Swan  to  Lark  street,  would  be  improved  by  bringing  a  park 
up  to  the  rear  of  them  !  The  whole  of  Arbor  Hill  would 
be  so  improved  by  its  proximity  to  such  grounds  that  the 
property  must  increase  immensely  in  value.  The  Bowery, 
which  is  now  given  up  to  rickety  dwellings,  and  faded 
stores,  would  for  the  same  reasons  be  reclaimed  for  valuable 
and  beautiful  residences. 

Besides,  West  Albany  is  one  of  the  great  growing  suburbs 
of  Albany.  When  the  plans  of  the  Central  rail  road  man- 
agement are  carried  out,  we  shall  have  here  a  great  and 
thriving  community.  Already  the  nucleus  is  made.  Around 
the  shops  that  have  been  built  residences  are  springing  up, 
streets  are  being  laid  out,  and  school-houses  erected.  Al- 
ready, then,  we  see  directly  to  the  west  of  this  park  the 
growing  community  which  is  to  occupy  and  render  valuable 
the  property  on  that  side.  In  ten  years  this  park  would  be 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  beautiful  houses,  valuable  to  the 
city  as  a  part  of  its  taxable  real  estate ;  and  forming  at 
least  one  suburb  of  Albany  of  which  its  inhabitants  need 
not  be  ashamed. 

Such  is  this  plan  for  a  park  for  the  city  of  Albany,  rudely 
and  unskillfully  presented  ;  and  yet  surely  possessing  in  it  a 
sufficient  importance,  to  entitle  it  to  the  consideration  of  men 


^(^OO'Z.M? 


16 

of  foresight  and  liberality.  To  such  it  is  commended,  with 
the  assurance  that  whoever  shall  have  the  wisdom  and  the 
skill  to  provide  such  an  improvement  for  this  city,  the 
gratitude  of  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  sick  and  the  whole, 
the  children  and  the  aged,  shall  be  bestowed  on  them ;  and 
the  lips  of  a  hundred  generations  will  call  them  blessed. 


